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    Slowly opening his eyes.

    The cold, solid color of steel filled his vision.

    Bright yellow railings, floors gleaming with metallic sheen, sparks from welding torches in the distance landed on the steel-blue ground, scattering dots of orange-red.

    Beyond the railing, a giant humanoid robot stood, seemingly seasoned by countless battles. The combination of its steel body and flexible bearings exuded an industrial mechanical beauty that emanated from within.

    Nearby, a veteran with white hair and a scar on his left cheek leaned against the railing, watching him.

    “What the…”

    Piao Lao Shi couldn’t help but gasp.

    Damn it, the blogger known as “Game Microscope” was right!

    He wasn’t a pilot!

    Just a regular, run-of-the-mill rifleman!

    “Oh… oh oh oh,”

    Piao Lao Shi responded hurriedly when he heard the veteran call him. He glanced at the electronic dog tag displayed on the veteran’s chest:

    “Lal…a…Morse…oh, Captain Lastimosa, hello…”

    He had to admit!

    With the help of full-sensory and full-sensory assisted technology, the environment created by the game was incredibly realistic!

    Piao Lao Shi could clearly feel that he was on a moving spaceship.

    He could distinctly feel the subtle bumps from the cockpit beneath him, and the faint rumble in his ears!

    Lastimosa, both his tone of voice and his gait, were incredibly smooth, devoid of the stiffness and stagnation of other NPCs in games.

    Even!

    Every move exuded an aura of a seasoned veteran, calm and resolute. Stern but not harsh, entirely the image of a kind elder.

    Such bearing momentarily subdued the usually brash and rambunctious Sow Pig.

    The barrage of comments erupted in laughter:

    ‘Today, the Sow Pig is being good’

    ‘Captain Teacher, what kind of strange nickname is this?’

    ‘Panicked, Piao Lao Shi’s nervousness is obvious’

    ‘Like seeing the headmaster from the back door window while chatting with your deskmate’

    ‘Grass, so scary’

    ‘Lastimosa’s scarred face is indeed quite menacing’

    ‘What the hell is Lastimosa, another weird nickname???’

    ‘But Lastimosa is very kind, not at all menacing’

    ‘Lastimosa must be a pilot, his equipment looks much more powerful than the others on the ship’

    ‘Definitely, the Titan behind the railing should be his’

    ‘…‘

    “Teacher? Kid, you’re the first one to call me that, hehehe…”

    As he spoke, the Pilot Captain also walked over to Piao Lao Shi’s side, smiling.

    Piao Lao Shi was sitting in a cockpit at the moment, unsure of its purpose.

    The Captain went to the outside of the cockpit and took a look, then slapped the cockpit’s exterior with a frown.

    “Damn it, the simulation pods on the ship have all been restarted,”

    He said, returning to the railing, waving his hand:

    “Pull that lever above your head, we need to reset it.”

    Following the Captain’s instructions, Piao Lao Shi pulled the lever.

    Clang!

    There was a loud bang!

    The automatic doors on both sides of the cockpit closed, trapping Piao Lao Shi inside.

    “Hey? What the!”

    Piao Lao Shi finally realized!

    “I’m in a sensory pod… using a sensory pod???”

    Nested dolls!

    A strange but logical setting, making Piao Lao Shi chuckle.

    After a round of debugging!

    A flash of white light, like fireflies, flickered by!

    Opening his eyes again, Piao Lao Shi found himself standing in a courtyard hallway.

    A faint floral scent wafted through the air, a man-made stream snaked through the center of the hallway.

    Not far away, on a wooden beam about the height of a calf, sat Lastimosa wearing a stylish X-shaped pilot helmet.

    “Damn! Teacher, your helmet is unbelievably cool and stylish, like a flying tomato!”

    The highly technological helmet was adorned with dragon-shaped graffiti, a yellow triangular scarf around the neck, paired with a khaki combat suit and advanced pilot equipment.

    Lastimosa just sitting there looked like a seasoned, fierce cheetah!

    Still as a mountain, fierce as fire!

    This was the imposing aura of a pilot!

    So cool.

    Piao Lao Shi sincerely marveled.

    This equipment, this style, this wear, this texture…

    It was damn better than the battlefield fried chicken that showed off the back, legs, and NZ!

    “Haha, alright, no need for flattery,”

    Though he said so, Piao Lao Shi’s words seemed to make Lastimosa happy:

    “Actually, I shouldn’t be training you, but I think you have potential,”

    “Moreover… with the battle so intense now, who cares about class distinctions.”

    He said,

    Lastimosa stood up, clapped his hands, and pointed to the very front of the corridor:

    “Let’s start kid, keep going, run!”

    The novice training level!

    This was nothing difficult for Piao Lao Shi.

    After all, he had “Survival Road” as his foundation and experience in PUBG.

    Whether it was running, jumping, or sliding, he could perform smoothly.

    “Very good…”

    “Excellent…”

    “Well done…”

    Lastimosa seemed to be very good at encouraging teaching.

    And with constant encouragement, Piao Lao Shi became more and more excited!

    Because the smoothness of the action in this game was even better than the previous “Golden Wind” game!

    Not to mention, just running and jumping, was enough to make you feel happy.

    Soon, after sliding through a rock crevice, the smooth road ahead disappeared.

    In its place was a wooden wall perpendicular to the ground.

    Lastimosa’s voice echoed:

    “The real test comes now kid, activate the jump pack assistance,”

    “The jump pack operates on the principle of natural stability, calibrate your jump pack, use the inertia, and slide along that wall!”

    Oh?

    Hearing this!

    Piao Lao Shi’s eyes lit up!

    Earlier in the promotional video, he was deeply impressed by the pilot’s “walking on walls” footage.

    Wall sliding jump.

    Pressing your body against the wall, using the thrust of the jump pack to complete the action.

    Elegant, stylish, cool.

    Most importantly, it looked like it wasn’t that complicated.

    Simple bragging!

    Piao Lao Shi had been coveting this action for a long time.

    Now, the opportunity was right in front of him, he was naturally excited!

    A sprint!

    The thrust flame of the jump pack behind him sprayed out!

    “I’ll do a flying tomato, invincible, pigskin bully jump, instantly a stylish—”

    Thump!

    Before he could finish, there was a dull thud!

    Piao Lao Shi flew straight up from the edge of the break.

    Then, like a dump truck, he smashed himself against the wall.

    Silence.

    After a long time, a sentence drifted across the barrage—

    ‘Wild boar hitting a tree…’

    Immediately!

    Piao Lao Shi’s painful cries and the laughter from the live stream rang out simultaneously!

    ‘God damn wild boar hitting a tree’

    ‘Hahahaha, grass, so fitting, I can’t hold it back’

    ‘Does it sound good? If it sounds good, it’s a good start’

    ‘Piao Lao Shi’s screams are no less than reverse smoking’

    ‘Just listening to it makes my head buzz…’

    ‘Who the hell is so bad, they had to put Piao Lao Shi on level 5 pain? Oh, it’s me…’

    ‘The truth is, smiles don’t disappear, like now, Piao Lao Shi’s smile has transferred to my face hahahaha’

    ‘The law of conservation of smiles, right?’

    ‘…‘

    “Piao Lao Shi hit the tree?”

    Meanwhile!

    Dai Xiao Mei, who had just barely managed to pass the wall sliding jump, saw the barrage report and burst into laughter, teasing him mercilessly!

    “Piao Lao Shi can’t do this either!”

    “This level of understanding, not even as good as mine!”

    “It’s a waste of time for Lastimosa to teach him.”

    As she spoke, Dai Xiao Mei even slid back along the wall!

    Two trips back and forth!

    Her movements really looked like the real thing!

    Even Lastimosa couldn’t help but nod in approval:

    “Not bad, your movements are getting smoother, I didn’t get it wrong, your potential is really good!”

    “Heh heh, of course!”

    Dai Xiao Mei grinned at the praise:

    “You’re in for a treat teaching me, I’m all about high comprehension!”

    As she spoke!

    Dai Xiao Mei followed Lastimosa’s light and shadow to another break.

    There was no place to step in the middle of this break, and the other side was higher than this side.

    Dai Xiao Mei understood immediately, without waiting for Lastimosa to speak, she preemptively said:

    “I get this, I totally get this, a double jump, right?”

    In the promotional video, the pilot used a double jump in the air to dodge an exploding spider robot.

    ‘嘶——’

    The barrage gasped in unison.

    ‘She’s already anticipating the question?’

    ‘Damn, she figured this game out’

    ‘One thing to say, the old woman’s understanding is really not bad’

    ‘Lastimosa: Maybe this kid really can become a pilot’

    ‘Sensory pod games have a little something to do with athletic talent’

    ‘The old woman’s playing this well, she learns fast’

    ‘After all, she comes from PUBG, she has some foundation’

    ‘…‘

    Looking at the affirmation in the barrage and hearing Lastimosa’s praise, Dai Xiao Mei’s confidence soared, ready to show off her killer move!

    “Brothers! Let me show you what it means to be a born pilot!” As she spoke!

    Dai Xiao Mei sprinted, and as she reached the break, she slide tackled!

    Whizz—whoosh—!!!

    Precise distance control allowed her to perfectly activate her jump pack the moment she slid out of the break!

    The jump pack ignited behind her, providing thrust, and Dai Xiao Mei soared high!

    Her graceful movements made her feel like she was free from gravity, mastering flight.

    The next moment, an even more jaw-dropping move appeared.

    Like a graceful ballerina!

    Dai Xiao Mei, after a perfect slide tackle jump, her body actually did a spin in the air, while one leg bent at the knee, the other leg extended far out, preparing for another slide tackle landing!

    Sliding spin double jump!

    At that moment! The entire audience in the live stream held their breath!

    Thump!

    The tip of Dai Xiao Mei’s outstretched foot landed precisely on the high platform on the opposite side!

    The powerful thrust of the jump pack propelled her body forward at speed!

    Everything was so precise, graceful, perfect!

    Except for the fact that she didn’t quite reach the height, and her other leg didn’t have time to retract…

    The next second!

    Whizz—

    Dai Xiao Mei’s one leg slid along the surface, and the other leg was not able to retract in time!

    With a loud clang!

    Her whole body was stuck straight up in the edge of the path!

    ‘Oh——!!!’

    ‘嘶——!!!’

    ‘Oh——!!!’

    The live stream immediately erupted in a wave of gasps!

    Everyone tightened their legs, as if they could physically feel the excruciating pain!

    ‘What the…hell…’

    ‘So…so painful…‘

    ‘Is the old woman on level 5?’

    ‘Yes, she is…’

    ‘嘶——so miserable——‘

    ‘Just beat it…‘

    ‘It feels like a nightmare-level pain shadow’

    ‘Even though I haven’t experienced it, it doesn’t stop me from feeling it’

    ‘I can’t watch anymore, I…’

    After a long while!

    A weak, trembling voice came from the sensory pod:

    “I…request…to lower the pain level by one…”

    “Please…”

    An unbelievably realistic experience!

    Exquisite attention to detail, coupled with ArtJoy’s new generation of full-sensory assisted technology!

    As Gu Sheng had said!

    Right now!

    The door to a new world was open!

    A truly virtual world, full of vibrant colors, was emerging!

    And TitanFall, without a doubt, was the first pioneer of this new world.

    A short training level had already amazed all the streamers who played it!

    And the smooth slide tackles, wall sliding jumps, double thrusts in the promotional video… were all presented with the most perfect sense of operation!

    For a moment!

    In the game section of all live streaming platforms, almost all streamers were playing this game!

    In full swing!

    And after going through the tutorial, the game’s unique “speedrun simulation” also attracted countless streamers to play it over and over again!

    Even though it was just a simple parkour map!

    Even though the purpose of this level was simply to “break 15 targets and cross the finish line as fast as possible”.

    It still attracted countless streamers to try it again and again!

    Some even played for eight hours straight!

    Just to take the top spot on the global speedrun leaderboard!

    Chain jumps, grenade-assisted start, circular thrust acceleration…

    The original two-minute time limit set by Lastimosa was broken and refreshed over and over again by players!

    One minute, half a minute, twenty seconds, fifteen seconds!

    And even three days later, a player from the United States with the ID [octane] used two grenade-assisted starts and finally achieved a score of 3.9 seconds, taking the top spot and remaining unbroken for a long time!

    Of course!

    Players as passionate as Octane are still a minority.

    Most people, after completing two rounds of training, chose to continue the game’s storyline.

    Because according to Lastimosa!

    In the latter half of the training, players would be able to personally pilot their own Titans!

    “…So, Teacher, this is a reflection of your hometown?”

    Following Lastimosa out of the training room and onto the outer platform, Tuan Zi asked.

    The mountains rolled in the distance, the green fields stretched as far as the eye could see.

    Not far away, a small stream flowed gently, a few peach trees with pink flowers blooming dotted both sides.

    Blue mountains and green waters, refreshing and calming.

    “It’s a kind of, it was inspired by my hometown, Harmony Star, where I grew up,”

    Looking at the charming scenery, Lastimosa nodded:

    “And this is what we are fighting for, Kupo,”

    “For a world without metal and smoke, for a world of peace and prosperity.”

    He said.

    Lastimosa took a deep breath, as if to savor the taste of his once peaceful hometown.

    “After the Ceres battle, we took back a tenth of the border, our rebellion army is growing stronger, every day there are warriors like you who are willing to join us, willing to resist the IMC’s tyrannical rule,”

    Speaking of this, Lastimosa’s fighting spirit was ablaze, he pointed to the imposing steel behemoth in the distance:

    “Let me introduce you, BT-7274, he’s my partner, developed by our rebellion army, not stolen from the IMC.”

    “He?” Tuan Zi noticed the subtitle, Lastimosa’s pronoun: “A single person, meaning ‘he’?”

    “Yes, he,”

    Lastimosa sat down at the edge of the platform:

    “No pilot would ever treat their Titan as a mere machine,”

    “You’ll understand what I mean when you become a pilot,”

    “Now, call in a Titan of your own!”

    Listening to the teacher’s words, Tuan Zi was half-understanding.

    But hearing that she had a Titan to drive, she put aside those philosophical thoughts for now!

    She walked to the edge of the platform, pressed her simulated pilot watch, and as the FS-1041 Titan model appeared on the watch.

    Lastimosa’s voice of reminder followed: “Look to the sky kid! Your Titan is here!”

    Hearing this!

    Tuan Zi looked towards the sky—

    Thump!

    With a dull thud!

    A bright star lit up in the sky.

    Immediately, the sound of rumbling thunder rolled in.

    As the star grew brighter, a towering and majestic steel frame, trailing fire, descended from the sky!

    At that moment!

    The live stream erupted!

    ‘Ohhhhhhh——near-Earth orbit drop! It looks even cooler in the game!’

    ‘This design is damn amazing!’

    ‘Don’t you have to become a pilot to drive a Titan?’

    ‘This is a simulated training, right?’

    ‘I don’t care! As long as there’s a Titan to drive! I’ve been coveting BT for so long!’

    ‘You dare covet Lastimosa’s Titan?’

    ‘Lastimosa: Did I give you permission? You’ve never seen a black hand before, have you?’

    ‘Dare to steal Lastimosa’s buddy, I’ll tear out your wires’

    ‘Hahaha, ridiculous…’

    Seeing this, Tuan Zi let out a scream!

    “Ahhhhhhh—Titan! Mine! My Titan! I have a…”

    However!

    Before she could finish!

    The screen blurred!

    The FS-1041 hadn’t even landed, it was stuck in the air!

    The next second!

    The simulation pod in the game opened automatically, and Lastimosa’s voice followed:

    “Alright kid, something big has happened, we need to get ready.”

    Looking at the hurriedly assembling rifleman formation outside, one after another, soldiers with anxious faces walked past her corridor.

    Tuan Zi was completely dumbfounded!

    Ending it like this?

    “What the hell?! Is this a battle right now?! Where’s my Titan! It’s so big! I haven’t even gotten a good look at it,呜呜呜呜…”

    This is so annoying!

    Tuan Zi felt like smashing the sensory pod.

    Who the hell designed this script! It was as despicable as a chapter-breaking dog writing a novel!

    Just as she was fuming!

    A man named Captain Cole walked down the corridor, handing Tuan Zi a gun:

    “Let’s go Kupo, stop dawdling!”

    “Hey, Cole,”

    Lastimosa patted Cole’s shoulder:

    “Don’t worry, he’s just finished his simulated training, he needs to catch his breath,”

    “This kid is a good prospect, trust him, he can do it.”

    Snap!

    Hearing this, Cole saluted Lastimosa: “Yes, Sir!”

    Seeing this scene, Tuan Zi was secretly alarmed.

    After all, Lastimosa’s rank was also Captain, but even with the same rank as a Captain, he still saluted Lastimosa and called him Sir.

    It was enough to show how high the status of pilots was.

    Thinking.

    Lastimosa took a small knife and mounted it in a shoebox-sized cylindrical core, smiling at her:

    “Kid, you’re the first one to call me Teacher, I’ll also do my duty and train you to become a pilot, but it looks like we won’t have time today…”

    As he spoke, the alarms in the cockpit also rang out.

    A grand and majestic symphony slowly cut in, the troops were hastily assembling, everyone, even another pilot named Anderson, greeted and paid their respects to Lastimosa.

    Click!

    As Lastimosa placed the core in the head of the BT, the huge Titan began to operate.

    The real control cabin opened, Lastimosa boarded the Titan, turned back to Tuan Zi and said:

    “We’re going to a new planet today, we might die there, protect yourself kid, good luck!”

    “Good luck! Teacher!”

    Tuan Zi looked at Lastimosa, who was sitting in the Titan’s cockpit, and gave him a thumbs up.

    Then.

    The screen gradually darkened.

    Blackness stained the entire screen.

    The grand symphony, with a touch of tragedy, played on, the curtain rose.

    The golden GW letter logo, glittering, slowly appeared—

    [Golden Wind Games]

    [Presents]

    And as the screen slowly brightened again.

    Beyond the massive clouds of the planet, the game name officially appeared—

    [TitanFall]

    And as the camera gradually zoomed in, the game name gradually faded, a single escape pod trailing exhaust gas pierced through the game name, outside the atmosphere, shining brightly, falling towards the planet below the clouds—

    (End of Chapter)

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